Security forces eliminate three militants in major operation in Doda’s Sinoo forests

DODA — Security forces achieved a major success on Wednesday when they eliminated all three militants trapped in a hideout in Sinoo forests of Gandoh area of Doda district in a day-long encounter.

The operation was launched in the wee hours by the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army in Sinoo forests after receiving credible inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

According to the news agency KNO, the operation was supervised by Additional Director General of Police Jammu Zone Anand Jain and he was also accompanied by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban range Shridhar Patil and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Doda Javed Iqbal.

Earlier, ADGP Jammu Zone in a statement to media had said that a militant was killed in the encounter. Later in the evening, another statement was issued which read, “Two more terrorists have been neutralized in an ongoing joint operation in the Gundoh, Bhaderwah sector of district Doda. Arms and ammunition have been recovered from their possession.”

In a post on X, the Indian Army’s 16 Corps wrote, “Op Lagor. After an intense firefight, three hardcore militants have been neutralized in a joint operation of #IndianArmy and #JKP. A large cache of warlike stores, including automatic assault rifles, has been recovered. Operation is currently in progress.”

Giving details, police informed that all the three militants have been eliminated by Wednesday evening whereas the combing operation was going on to sanitize the area and ensure nothing is left behind. The first militant was eliminated in the afternoon whereas the other two were killed in the afternoon when the hideout was blasted with mortal shells.

Sources said that the first militant was killed when he tried to come out of the hideout and escape the cordon. “The alert cops fired at him and killed him. The two hiding militants were not allowed to leave the hideout at any point of time,” a source said.

Security forces have recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the possession of slain militants which include a M4 carbine gun, two AK-47 rifles, bullets, pouches, grenades and other incriminating material.

The militants were hiding in a muddy house covered by trees and grass on a hill opposite Sinoo village. Security forces had laid the cordon from all the sides and no chance was given to the hiding militants to flee again.

The security forces had also pressed helicopters into the service to drop para commandos in the area as the terrain is difficult with dense forests and hostile for smooth movement. More reinforcement of para commandos was pushed in from Udhampur through the road and they were taken to the encounter site to kill the hiding militants.

During the day, the rain also played a spoilsport during the fire fight but forces continued to move closer to the hideout and ensure that no hiding militant was allowed to flee from the cordon.

On June 12, security forces were able to establish a contact with the militants in Kota Top area of Tanta in Gandoh area and a J&K Police constable was injured in the firefight. But the militants had managed to give a slip to the security forces and for the last 14 days, the vigil and search operation was intensified in the entire region and in the meantime, three people were arrested in connection with giving food and shelter to the militants, which proved beneficial in collecting the information about the militants.

Earlier today when contact was established with militants and they were trapped inside a muddy house, SSP Doda Javed Iqbal said, “Encounter has started and a clear picture will emerge once the fire fight is over.”

This is the big victory for the Doda Police and the Indian Army today as they were able to trace the militants within a fortnight and eliminate all of them. Whereas in Udhampur, Poonch and Reasi districts, security forces are still searching for the militants who are behind the killing of security forces and Shiv Khori pilgrims.

The successful operation against militants in Doda comes a few days after DGP RR Swain told reporters in Jammu that police were not shying away from taking on the foreign militants in Jammu region and the force was ready to fire the first bullet and also bear some losses as well.

The DGP also stated that in the next three months, foreign militancy will be wiped out from the Jammu region with the active support of Central forces and locals.